Anganwadi workers mobiles not recharged since three years

Koppal: Anganwadi workers, responsible for a range of tasks including child welfare and maternity care, are currently grappling with non-functional mobile phones provided to them for these purposes. In 2018-19, under the central government's Poshan Abhiyan Yojana, 1,850 workers in Koppal district and 65,000 workers across the state were equipped with mobile phones for essential functions.

Unfortunately, the mobile phones distributed by the Women and Child Welfare Department to all Anganwadi workers have not been recharged for the past three months. This oversight has left the workers frustrated and struggling to fulfill their duties. The mobile phones were intended to facilitate tasks such as providing information about children, tracking pregnancies, and other crucial functions.

Expressing their dismay, Anganwadi workers are facing additional challenges, as they not only work for low salaries but are also burdened with the responsibility of data recharge. With the department's negligence in recharging the mobile phones, many workers are resorting to alternative methods, such as using Wi-Fi from other SIM cards or relying on colleagues for data sharing.

Despite the lack of recharges, the department continues to demand regular information updates from the workers. This has created a challenging situation for Anganwadi workers, who are struggling to upload daily information due to the non-functional mobile phones. When questioned about the issue of recharge, the state government cites the central government scheme, stating that the funds have not been received from the center.